Sheffield Steelers stars begin challenge of earning Great Britain World Championship roster spot

Head coach Pete Russell and his players gathered for training camp in Coventry on Tuesday afternoon ahead of this weekend’s Euro Hockey Challenge which will see GB take on Japan, Poland and Romania over three nights.

It means a weekend off for Elite League teams while GB take over the domestic hockey scene, although half a dozen Steelers’ players will not have much time to rest over the coming days.

Forwards Jonathan Phillips, Robert Dowd and Brandon Whistle, as well as defencemen David Phillips, Evan Mosey and Sam Jones will represent the Steelers in the 31-man GB squad, which kicks off its campaign against Japan at Milton Keynes on Friday (7pm).

Poland are the opponents for Saturday’s match at Coventry’s Skydome Arena (7pm) with the tournament being rounded off against Romania at Nottingham’s National Ice Centre on Sunday (4pm).

The tournament will be used as preparation for this year’s Division 1A World Championships which will be staged in Nottingham from April 29-May 5, when Russell’s team will be striving to secure an instant return back to the top-flight after last year’s relegation.

Dowd, who made his GB debut back in 2008, said playing in front of home fans – as they did in Belfast when securing promotion to Division 1A in 2017 – was always welcome.

“Every one of us has so much pride representing GB and it will be great to have everyone back together,” said the 34-year-old, currently in his testimonial year with the Steelers.

“We don’t often get the chance to get together mid-season, so this will be such good preparation for the World Championships.

“There’s some new faces in the squad too and that will bring even more competition for places, so that’s really healthy that we have such depth on our roster.

“It’s an important year for us and obviously our aim is promotion in the World Championship in April.

“Playing a tournament on home ice – like we did in Belfast – will be really special, but we have this tournament to think about first. They will be three tough games but that’s what we need.”

For Dowd’s Elite League team-mate Whistle it is a first-ever call-up to the GB squad, one that he has strived for ever since he first played for the Steelers back in 2018.

Whistle left the following summer but then, after spells in NIHL National with Telford Tigers and Leeds Knights, he secured a two-year deal in Sheffield last summer, his GB chances enhanced through his impressive form since.

While excited, he expects a competitive environment both in games and in practice over the next few days as players strive to prove they are worth a place in Nottingham.

"It will be competitive, but once you’re there and playing I don’t think it’s about individuals, you’ll just be wanting to win as a team,” said Whistle.

"But it’s definitely a competition to make that final squad for Nottingham, so practices I’m sure will be pretty intense and pretty high tempo with everybody trying to show that they belong on the team.”